What If: A Collection of Alternate Oneshots
by numbuh777
Summary: In the style of Marvel's "What If?" stories; this is a compilation of oneshots considering the roads not taken in the Last Airbender and Legend of Korra universes, asking what would have happened had things gone differently. Current Story: What If: The Fire Ferrets Won The Finals? R&R!
1. WHAT IF: THE AVATAR NEVER RAN AWAY?

Well, hello there. Have you ever watched a show and thought, "I wonder what would happen if things went differently"? Have you ever considered the implications if a character in a show did A instead of B? Have you ever wondered why superglue still works in a non-stick pan? Well, for me, **_Avatar: The Last Airbender_** and _**Avatar: Legend of Korra**_ (Yes, I know, I know. But dammit James Cameron, THEY had the name first!) had many points in its plot where things could have gone differently...and wouldn't it be fun if we imagined the possibilities of what could happened?

In the style of Marvel's "What If?" and DC's "Elseworlds" style of books, this is a collaborative effort allowing you...and I...to do just that. For my part, I will write a oneshot describing what might have happened if only the character had chosen a different path at a certain point in time. On yours, please feel free to suggest any...umm...suggestions regarding major plot divergences (i.e. What If: Iroh Had Not Reconciled With Zuko?, OR What If: Korra Had Been Captured At The Equalist Meeting?). Or, if anyone of you want to offer their writing services, please inbox me and let's work something out.

So, right now, I would like to present to you the first ever _What If?_ story. It was one that I wrote a heck of a long time ago, and, well, it's the one that started it all. Please, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

* * *

**_WHAT IF: THE AVATAR NEVER RAN AWAY?  
_**_AN AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER ONESHOT_

* * *

**_Location: The Southern Air Temple  
_****_Time: 0130 hours_**

The bison snorted and reared back in fear.

"Shh, shh, shh. It's ok, Appa." The young boy whispered soothingly.

Looking up at the night sky, it was easy to see why Appa was scared. It was dark, pouring with rain, and at random intervals lightning flashed. Not even the most seasoned traveller would dare to set off in such conditions. And this was the night he had chosen to leave.

Aang sighed.

After being told that he had to leave his home, Aang had angrily decided to run away. Run to be free of the monks' unreasonable actions.

But now, his courage was wavering. After seeing at the horrible conditions, the Avatar was loath to continue. Staring up at the sky, he asked himself the question – should he go?

Then his nerve broke.

"Come on Appa. Let's go back." Aang said.

* * *

_**Location: The Southern Air Temple  
**__**Time: 1200 hours [5 Days Later]**_

Fire. Fire everywhere. The Air Temple was under attack.

There was a hurried conference held in the temple's inner sanctum, consisting of Aang and the monks in charge of the Air Temple.

One of the monks was giving a report: "...they've already breached the outer gates. The others are trying to hold them off, but I fear that it is only a matter of time until they overrun us."

Another monk turned to Aang. "Young Avatar, you have to step up and defend our temple. Push back the firebenders and win the war!"

There was a long silence while everyone looked at Aang. Then he did what no one expected him to do. He exploded.

"I can't believe it!" Aang yelled. "After you guys hounded me, restricted me, controlled my every movement and basically made my life miserable, now you want me to go and die saving you while you guys just hide out here? I never wanted to be the Avatar anyway!"

Aang stormed out of the room, furious with the world.

* * *

Outside, he met Monk Giatsu.

"I am ashamed of you, young Avatar." was all he said.

Aang begin to splutter. "But...but...they wanted to send me away! And now they want me to die saving them! They don't care a bit for me!"

"But they do care!" Monk Giatsu's voice cut through like a whipcrack. "For once try to think of someone other than yourself. People are dying all over the world because of the Fire Nation attack, including your friends right here in this temple."

He laid a hand on Aang's shoulder.

"Aang," he said gently, yet forcefully. "This is a time of great peril. You have in your hands the delicate balance between the four nations. Now with that balance at stake, you have to put everything on the line to save the world. And I believe you can do it."

There was silence for what seemed like a long time. Then Aang looked up.

"You're right," he said, voice filled with a new resolve. "I have to defend the free world."

Opening his glider, Aang sped off towards the thick of the battle, his eyes and arrow glowing blue.

* * *

Fire burned. Winds blew. The Earth shook. Light shone. Everywhere else around the temple, the battle was merely a distraction from the epic fight occurring. It was one man, no, **one boy**, against the world that seemed to be against him.

And he was winning.

Then Aang howled, eyes and arrow glowing blue again. Wind blew everywhere, the beginnings of a hurricane starting up. He raised his staff, mouth speaking words of power.

And then he smashed the staff into the ground.

It felt like the end of the world. No one ever knew what transpired for the next 10 minutes. Simultaneously, everyone in the vicinity blacked out from the sheer force of power.

But when the monks awoke, they found themselves the sole owners of an empty battlefield. No Fire Nation soldiers, weapons, flags, or bodies anywhere in the area.

And most importantly, no Avatar.

* * *

Different people reacted to the series of events in different ways.

The monks lit candles to honour the passing of Avatar Aang.

Monk Giatsu moved away from the monastery in self-imposed exile, the fact forever on his conscience that he sent Aang to die, regardless of the circumstances.

The Fire-Lord was shocked to receive news of the complete and utter decimation of part of his forces, collapsing in a heart attack in the middle of a meeting. His subsequent recovery, as well as the training of new soldiers, allowed the other kingdoms valuable time to prepare their defences.

And in a small Water Tribe, the newborn baby's eyes glowed blue.

***END***

* * *

_Leave a comment and tell me what you think! Offer your suggestions, and keep on trucking, folks!_

_- NUMBUH777_


	2. WHAT IF: THE FIRE FERRETS WON THE FINAL?

(A/N) Good Evening, ladies and gents, I am tonight's entertainment! For those of you who want your money back, please head towards the ticketing counters and you will rudely be told to shove off. Also, remember to stop by the concession stand for snacks and sweet items and the souvenir shop for little trinkets that should never see the light of day.

This one came to me after watching "_And The Winner Is..._", with the finals of the Pro-Bending Match and its subsequent aftermath, where [**SPOILER ALERT**] the Wolfbats won by cheating, and Amon attacked the arena and stole the Wolfbats' abilities. Something sparked, and I asked myself, "What If the Fire Ferrets did a 'Mighty Ducks', and won instead?" This is an attempt to answer that question.

By the way, if anyone wants to know my reasoning behind any of my oneshots, feel free to drop me a review or a PM. Check out my other stories too, and most of all, leave a review. Just write something. Anything. I will reply. Speaking of which, thank you for the review and the suggestions, Jokermask8! First reviewer gets a virtual Jaguar, powered by your imagination.

So, without further ado, allow me to present the next oneshot in this series:

* * *

**_WHAT IF: THE FIRE FERRETS WON THE FINALS?  
_**_AN AVATAR: LEGEND OF KORRA ONESHOT  
_

* * *

_**Location: Republic City Bending Arena  
**__**Time: 1930 hours**_

With a flick of his wrist, Tahno, the captain of the White Falls Wolfbats Pro-Bending Team, sent a sharp burst of water across to his opponents, followed by three quick striking motions as a lead-up to his next attack. On the other side, Korra swore, dodging the water strike and sending back one of her own, swearing again as Tahno easily sidestepped the clumsy attack and replied with another shot.

The Pro-Bending Match had thirty seconds left in this round, and it was right down to the wire. Korra, the waterbender Avatar and master of three out of four elements, was part of the Future Industries Fire Ferrets, newcomers to the Pro-Bending tournament and somehow winning their preliminary matches until they found themselves in the finals, thanks to their skill, copious amounts of luck and an unexpected sponsorship / cash injection from the boss of Future Industries. One more match and they would win the entire tournament. A piece of moon cake, as the airbenders say. It would be, that is, except for two obstacles.

The first was a serious one – Amon, leader of anti-bender terrorist group The Equalists, had hijacked the radio waves and announced that unless the Pro-Bending Finals were shut down, Republic City would face 'dire consequences' from him and his Equalists. After furious debate, and a spirited protest from Republic City's police chief Lin Beifong and the Fire Ferrets, Korra included, the Republic City decided to publicly defy Amon and have the tournament continue, albeit with a heavy police presence to discourage The Equalists and protect the competitors and fans. But it was the second predicament that was occupying Korra's mind at the moment.

The second problem was the Fire Ferrets' opponents, the White Falls Wolfbats, three-time Pro-Bending defending champions and all-round jerks. While some small part of Korra did acknowledge that they had some talent, the rest of her refused to believe that the Wolfbats members should be anything more than trash, much less champions. All throughout the match, the Wolfbats had been pulling out dirty trick after dirty trick, cheating their way to winning the first round, and would have won the second but for Korra's last ditch save of her teammate and subsequent winning of the tiebreaker. As such, it all came down to the final round. Whoever won this round, won the match – and the championship.

A surge of flame rushed past the Avatar's head. Gasping, Korra somersaulted and, landing on her hands, executed a spinning kick through the air that also fired a stream of water into the Wolfbats' firebender's face, knocking him back temporarily. While her teammates took the opportunity to press the attack upon the hapless opponent, Korra took a step back, metaphorically, and tried to assess the situation…

…and then she saw it. She saw the earthbending member of the Wolfbats lift a disc with his bending and break it into shards behind his back. She saw Tahno form a puddle of water around the shards, an illegal combination of two elements that, had the referees not been (possibly) bribed, would have instantly disqualified them. Most importantly, she saw Tahno levitate the dangerous mixtures and hurl the three projectiles at all three members of the Fire Ferrets, Korra included.

There was no time to think. The Avatar moved at a speed that critics would later say was almost superhuman. Neatly sidestepping the earth/water-hybrid projectile aimed at her, she summoned all of her strength and bending skill and bent a two-meter high wall of water in front of her teammates, forming a defensive barrier and blocking the dangerous missiles from reaching her teammates. Needless to say, everyone in the arena was astonished at the amazing act of bending prowess. Only Tenzin, Korra's Airbending Master was unmoved, although a small grin lifted the corner of his mouth, and Police Chief Beifong did not do so much as arch an eyebrow. Both teams were frozen in shock at the incredible sight, and the watching spectators were absolutely stunned.

Korra could only hold the wall of water up for two seconds, due to the Pro-Bending rules and the limits of her own strength. With a wave of her hand, she released the water, collapsing to her knees in exhaustion as the water splashed down onto the floor of the ring. The effort had taken much more of her than she thought, which was why she could do nothing but kneel and watch as her teammates, Mako and Bolin, recovered from their shock first and launch a devastating surprise attack upon the Wolfbats, knocking them out of the ring and winning the match.

With a whoop of joy, the three Fire Ferrets leapt in the air, celebrating their victory. Korra allowed a huge grin to creep across her face as she hugged both her friends. They had actually did it! They had won.

And that was when everything went to hell in a handcart.

* * *

_**Time: 2000 hours**_

The Fire Ferrets were in a load of trouble.

The Equalists had launched a surprise attack after the match, using electrical weapons to knock out Tenzin, Chief Beifong and the other Republic City Police guarding the place. While the terrorists were securing the place, a large airship had flown across to hover over the Arena, lowering more Equalist chi-blockers, as well as the enigmatic masked leader himself, Amon.

"Congratulations, Avatar, you won!" Amon cried out, his mocking voice carrying across the entire arena. "If you three are the best benders in Republic City, surely my Equalists would be no match for you, correct?"

With a smirk in his tone, Amon continued. "Let's find out."

And the Fire Ferrets had been fighting for their lives ever since.

Mako, ever the master tactician, had been quick. He instructed his brother and Korra to use the Earth discs to form a defensive ring around the three, and holding them off that way, he and Korra took pot-shots either over the discs or through the gaps at the Equalists. But these tactics were merely a holding play - the Fire Ferrets were exhausted after their intensive match, while the chi-blockers were fresh and moving at dangerous speeds. They were running on pure adrenaline now, and it was only a matter of time until their makeshift defends was overwhelmed, and then...

Korra shuddered. Amon would use his mysterious ability to remove her and her friends' bending. Their bending would be gone forever.

While Amon continued to expound the qualities of Equalism to his (literally) captive audience, Korra and her friends continued to fight. Suddenly, a scream from behind her broke the Avatar's concentration, and turning, she saw Bolin collapse in pain, a throwing dagger protruding out of his shoulder and blood trickling from the wound. Unable to maintain the defensive barrier, the earth-discs fell over, exposing the three.

In a flash, the other two moved. Both Korra and Mako dashed over to Bolin while sending forth streams of fire and water at their enemies, attempting to defend him from the approaching chi-blockers in a situation that was becoming increasingly dire.

Simply put, they were screwed.

Korra prayed to whatever deities she could think of for a miracle, as the Equalists grew closer, and closer, and...

Without warning, a sheet of flame gushed over one side of the trio, knocking the Equalists on that side off the ring and into the water below, where the pool played havoc with their electronics, neutralizing them. A wave of water flowed over the other side, doing the same to the Equalists there. With a terrifying screech, the Wolfbats, clad in wolfbat masks and black robes, launched themselves into the air from a raised platform below the ring and landed in front of the Fire Ferrets. Tahno raised his mask and gave Korra his trademark sleazy smirk.

"Can't let him take away your bending powers before we get a chance to win the title," he said.

Korra huffed in annoyance. "We'll just beat you again," she retorted. Then her voice took on a warmer tone. "Thanks though."

Tahno nodded and replaced his mask.

"Well, isn't this a pleasant and disturbing sight!" came Amon's voice, cutting through the air. "Benders and cheaters alike, and dressed in childish fancy-dress, no less!"

"It's over, Amon! We defeated your Equalists!" Korra yelled. She took no small satisfaction in seeing Amon's almost-perfectly disguised discomfort.

"Yes, you did, didn't you? Good job. Well, I made my point clear, so, it is time to take my leave." Amon replied, his platform slowly rising back to his airship. Behind his mask, his eyes glinted. "How about a rematch, benders?"

Korra's eyes widened in horror as the Equalists who had incapacitated the guards in the stands leapt over the railings and onto the ring, electrical weapons at the ready. At the same time, the Wolfbats shrugged off their cloaks and masks, while Korra and Mako shifted to a more defensive posture, the latter moving to a protective position over his wounded brother. With a roar, the two sides met.

Korra was so caught up in the fighting that she didn't see what happened next. She didn't see Amon raise a small transistor radio to his lips and whisper "Plan B". She didn't see Amon's Lieutenant clamber over to the stands and wade through the tide of panicked spectators that were desperately trying to escape the Arena now that the guards holding them were gone. She didn't see said Lieutenant stride over the fallen body of Tenzin to the unconscious Chief Beifong, didn't see him pick her up and heft her over his shoulder, and didn't see him turn and walk towards the Arena's exits.

But she did see Amon on the rising platform, gesturing goodbye as he escaped, satisfaction crossing his eyes at the fighting and mayhem below.

* * *

_**Time: 2100 hours**_

The fight was over.

On the one hand, the Fire Ferrets and Wolfbats had worked together to defeat tens of Equalists, knocking them unconscious and allowing them to be safely arrested and taken to jail. Korra held out a slim hope that interrogating them when they woke up would glean some information, although she didn't put much faith in that.

On the other, Amon had escaped…

…and Chief Lin Beifong was gone. Taken. And none of them had any clue where she was – or whether they would see her alive or able to metalbend ever again.

Korra and Tenzin were in the stands, watching the rest of the Republic City Police Department attempt to clear the area of debris and search for clues. Korra didn't have much faith in that area either.

The Avatar turned to Tenzin and asked, voice trembling slightly. "We lost today, didn't we?"

The airbending master sighed sadly and looked back at Korra. "We all lost, Korra. As of now, Republic City is at war."

*****THE END*****

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